The legendary Brands Hatch circuit will celebrate all things ‘Mini’ when it hosts
a major new event in the form of the Brands Hatch Mini Festival on 16-17 June.
With a history spanning more than 50 years, the Mini in its former and current guise
is one of the most iconic cars of a generation and the famous Kent circuit plans
to commemorate the marque with a unique event in the summer. A superb line up of
Mini-based motorsport is set to entertain spectators while Mini owners from across
the country will be invited to showcase their cars around the 1.2 mile Indy circuit.
There will be various off track activities with a display of special motorsport Minis
old and new, a Mini stunt show, trade village, parades, live music and festival fun
for motor racing fans throughout the weekend.
For fans of the new MINI, the MINI Challenge will head the on track entertainment
with a round of their fiercely competitive championship, which provides plenty of
thrills and spills. The championship, run under the banner of MSVR, went down to
the wire last season with Chris Knox overcoming Lee Allen and Luke Caudle to lift
the title.
MINI Challenge manager Paul Harvey said: “I’m really looking forward to the event.
It will be great to get all the Mini clubs involved and hopefully if enough people
get behind the event it will become a regular feature. I think all the MINI Challenge
drivers will be looking forward to taking part in this meeting.”
Enthusiasts of the original Mini, which has an illustrious motorsport heritage, will
be catered for with frantic action from the Mini Se7en and Mini Miglia Championships.
The Mini Se7en Championship is almost as old as the classic car, now entering its
45th year of competition. The popular series will see versions of the 998cc Mini
compete against each other for valuable championship points, while the Mini Miglia
championship will see highly tuned variants tackle the challenging Kent circuit.
Mini Se7en and Mini Miglia championship commercial manager Colin Peacock, said: “The
Brands Hatch Mini Festival will be one of the highlights of the year without doubt.
It could turn into a mega event as we progress towards Mini’s 60th birthday. The
racing is always close at Brands Hatch and all the drivers will be looking forward
to it.”
There will also be action from historic Minis with a Pre-66 Mini race and a handicap
race for both the new and old variants of the car. A bumper grid of pre-66 Minis
is expected which will include several competitors travelling from Europe to take
on the Brits at Brands Hatch.
Race organiser Nick Swift said: “The Brands Hatch Mini Festival should be a great
event and we are pleased to be a part of it. There are still so many historic Minis
out there racing and plenty of drivers who want to race them because they are one
of the most enjoyable cars to drive. We should be welcoming drivers from Europe to
race in an Anglo French battle which should be entertaining.”
Further details regarding the off track entertainment will be announced in due course.
Tickets for the Brands Hatch Mini Festival on 16-17 June are available from £17 in
advance with free admission for children aged 12 and under. To book tickets visit
www.motorsportvision.co.uk or call 0843 453 9000. More information on the festival
can be found at www.mini-festival.co.uk.
